Body pad



OC- 21, 1941- W. H. BALLMAN 2,260,134

BODY PAD Filed Oct. 27, 1939 3 I II 23 il Y 5?/ 3 l VENT OR.

/4//7//0/77 5yd/maf? 32 BY 7; g

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BODY PAD William H. Ballman, Long Island City, N. Y.

Application October 27, 1939, Serial No. 301,614

1 Claim.

The purpose of this invention is to provide cooling pads to be used as ice packs, in which a constant temperature may be maintained as long as desired, and in which the temperature may be adjusted and turned on and off asvmay be desired. The device is primarily designed for cooling by circulating cold water, however, it may also be used as a heating pad by circulating hot Water.

The invention is a pad, somewhat similar to hot pads except that the temperature is maintained therein by circulating water or a fluid therethrough, and means is provided for regulating the temperature of the water so that it may either be hot or cold, or any'suitable tem perature maintained.

Ice packs are generally used as surgical dressings in hospitals and the like, particularly for inflammation, however, when these are first filled,

Vthe temperature is too low, and after they have been in use ten to fifteen minutes the temperature is too high because the ice melts very rapidly, and this makes it impossible to maintain a constant temperature, and it will be appreciated that in some cases it would be very desirable to maintain a certain temperature for a certain period of time, and such a device would facilitate healing as well as reduce the work Vof a nurse or attendant. The weight of these pads prohibits their use in larger sizes, and the bulkiness prohibits the use of various shapes to correspond with different parts of the body.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for overcoming the inefficiency, bulk, weight and uncertainty of ice packs or similar devices.

Another object is to provide a blanket to entirely cover the body, as used in frozen sleep.

Another object is to provide a light weight pad which will be constructed in numerous shapes to permit fitting any and all parts of the body.

Another object is to provide a heating or cooling pad for surgical dressings with a system in which it is connected, in which the temperature at the face of the pad may remain at a constant degree.

Another object is to provide cooling pads for surgical dressings which may readily be attached and detached to and from a circulating main.

A further object is to provide a cooling pad vfor surgical dressings with an anti-sweat top vand connection.

And a still further object is to provide a heating or cooling pad for surgical dressings in which a heat exchanging agent is circulated therethrough in such a manner that it will contact the entire face or working surface of the pad which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these ends in View the invention embodies a pad having a peripheral return opening passage, with a plurality of interior passages opening into the said return passage, a detachable lead connecting the pad to a main, and suitable heating and cooling apparatus for circulating a fluid through the main and pad and for maintaining a constant temperature in the fluid. The device is also provided with time switches for stopping and starting the circulation, and other means for controlling the circulation and the temperature of the circulating medium.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a View showing a cooling pad with part broken away showing the interior construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the pad with part broken away.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the pad.

Figure 4 is a View showing a main to which the pad may be connected.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the main.

Figure 6 is a view showing a connection of the end of the main to a heat exchanging unit.

Figure '7 is a view showing a heat exchanging unit with the outer wall broken away, showing the interior thereof.

Figure 8 is a detail showing one type of connection between the main and pad.

Figure 9 is a detail showing a connection of an alternate design, in which valves are provided in the passages thereof.

Figure l0 is a view showing a section of a pad illustrating an alternate design in which wire coils are used in the passages to hold the passages open to insure continuous circulation therethrough even when the pad is bent or folded.

Figure 11 is a view illustrating a system showing a plurality of mains leading from a unit with a plurality of leads from the mains, and pads of alternate designs on the leads.

In the drawing the device is shown as it may be made, wherein numeral I indicates a pad, numeral 2 a heat exchange unit, numeral 3 a main, and numeral 4 leads connecting the pads to the mains.

The pad I is preferably made as shown in Figure 1, however, it will be understood that it may be of any shape, type, or design, and may be made to iit any part of the body, and passages may be provided therein to compensate for the shape.

In the design shown in Figure 1, the pad is provided with a peripheral passage 5, and a plurality of interior passages 6, and a fluid supplied through the leads 4 enters an area 'I communicating with one end of the passages 6, through a supply tube 8, and, after circulating through the passages 6, passes into the return passage 5 as indicated by the arrows, and is returned through a tube 9 having a valve I0 adapted to regulate the opening thereof in order to build up a slightl pressure in the pad. The tubes 8 and 9 extend through the leads 4 and also through the main 3 to the source of supply, and, in the design shown, these tubes are connected through sections II and I2 to the unit 2, the tube 8 passing downward into the unit 2 through a connection I3 and being connected to the outlet of a circulating -fp'ump I4 rotated by a motor asshown. This passage passes throughV a time switch I5 that may be provided with an overflow or bypass I6, so that, when a constant temperature is maintained in the system, this device will permit the overflow of fluid to'pass backward into the system, or, if the time switch operates to shut olf the flow of fluid, the entire supply may pass'backvvard into the system; and the tube 9 is connected through connections I1 and I8 back to tanks I9 and 20, the tank I9 having a cooling coil 2| therein, and the tank 20 having electric heating elements 22 therein, the tanks I9 and 26 being connected through connections 23 and 24 to a valve 25 which is connected to a circulating pump I4 through a connection 26.

The heating element 22 may-be provided with a switch 2l' by which current may be'supplied through a vcord 28 as desired, andthe cooling coil 2l may be connected to a compressor 29 through connections 3l) and 3|, the compressor being operated by a motor 32'.` It will also be understood that a cooling system ofv any type may be provided for influencing the circulating medium, and any other means may be provided for Araising the temperature of the medium.

The connection between theY leads 4"and pads I may be made in any manner, however, it is desirable'to provide connectionsthat'may readily be connected and 'disconnected` and, therefore, the ends of the leads 4 are provided with spring prongs 33 and 34 around nipples 35 and 35, and these prongs have projections that snap into recesses 37 and 38. The recesses may be circumferential, and twoor any number of prongs may be provided.

In the design shown in Figure 9, only one connection is illustrated, and thisis provided with a ball check valve 39 which -may only be used in the inlet or supply connection, which, in this design, is indicated by thenumeralV 49, and this may be attached to the padl by inserting a nipple 4I in a recess in the pad, or by a connection similar to the connections illustrated in Figure 8. This valve illustrated in Figure 9 is onlytyDcal, as any suitable means for automaticallyfclosing the ends of the leads 4 may be provided, however, it will be noted that, when the lead is not inserted in the pad, the spring will rhold the ball closed, and, as soon as it'is inserted, cthe 4ball willbe held upward by a pin 42 extending up'- ward by a spider 43 in the base of the member 4I which is inserted in a projection 44 atrthe end of the pad I.

It willfbe" noted that'thepad IV is provided with a relatively thin base 45 which is preferably made of rubber, and the upper surface or back 46 is relatively thick, providing a backing for the pad, and this may be made of sponge rubber or any suitable material and may be covered or treated so that it will not sweat.

The back is connected to the base by ribs 41, with the `channel 6 provided between the ribs, and with the return passages 5 at the ends.

It will be understood that, although water has been described as the temperature conveying medium, any suitable fluid may be used, and this points.

openings 48 and 49, and valves 50, or any means may be provided for supplying fluid to the tanks or determining the amount of fluid therein.

It will also be understood that the pad I, may be made as shown in Figure 10, in which it is indicated by the numeral 5I, and in this design the interior `passages 52 are provided with wire coilsf53, .similar to springs, and these may be of .aluminum or any suitable material, and they may also be of any size providing large or small openings as may be desired for insuring circulation with the vpad in'any position. When the pad is 'folded or bent around at a sharp angle or curve the wallsu ofthe openings of the pad shown in Figure l, may come together whereas with the wire coils in the openings the circulating passages -will remain open.

The passages in thepads'may be arranged as in Figure .1, or as shown in Figure 11, in which the padszare indicated by the numeral 54, and in these pads the fluid circulates through inlet passages 55 in one side of the pad, 'across headers 56 at the end and back through passages 51 to the leads 4.

The units 2 may also be providedvwith'any number of the connections I3, so that any number of the headers 3 may be attached togon'e unit, and these may extend to any point or It will be understood that other changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the use of other means for connecting the pads tof the heat exchanging units, another may be inthe use of other means for controlling Vor regulating the flow of fluids through the device, and still anotherrrnay-be in the use of other means forheating and cooling the circulating fluid or temperature conducting medium. v

The constructionv will 'be readily'un'derstod from the foregoing description. In use the units 2 lmay be provided as illustrated, and these may be portable or located at central points, such as supply rooms'in a ward, or in any suitable V'rooms provided therefor, or they may be provided 4as portable, independent units in the room in which they may be used, and these may be connected to mains 3, and the mains connected to the pads by leads 4, and with the leads detachably connected to the pads, any number of pads may be used, kvand the p ads may be turned on or olf as may bedesired.- Y

Having-thus fullydescribed the invention, what I claim Yas new,` and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:`

A cooling and heating pad of the type adapted to be used in heating and refrigerating'systems where av conveyingagent is circulated from and toa central, plant,hcomprising two substantially parallelv walls, one of greater thickness'than the other and the edges of the thicker wall sloping downward toward7 the edges of the other Wall, said walls connected by Webs forming two series of channels, the inner of said series of channels having a common transverse entrant channel at one end and the opposite ends of said inner series of channels opening into another common transverse channel the ends of which communicate With side channels which open into an outlet transverse channel, thereby providing the outer series of channels, said entrant and outlet transverse channels having individual outlet openings through a common coupling member.

WILLIAM H. BALLMAN. 

